Spring bed-bottom



1N0 Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

LA FAYETTE WILDERMUTH. SPRING BED BOTTOM.

No. 519,368. Patented May 8, 1894.

WI .TJV' ESSES .Attorney I (No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

LA FAYETTE WILDERMUTH.

SPRING BED BOTTOM.

No. 519,368; Patented May 8,1894. 1

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LA FAYETTE WILD RMUTH, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

SPRI NG' BED -BOTTOM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 519,368, dated May 8,1894.

Application filed April 10, 1890. Serial No. 347,324:- (No model.)

To aZ Z whom it may concern.-

Be 1t known that I, LA FAYETTE WILDER- MUTH, a citlzen of theUnitedStates, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and Stateof Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in SpringBed-Bottoms; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of said invention, reference being had to. theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this speclfication.

The object of my invention is the productlon of a bed bottom of novelconstruction whereby the adjustment of the bed to the convenience of theoccupant and its conversion into compact form for storageortransportatron are facilitated, and the durability of the structure isenhanced.

In the accompanying drawings: Figurel is a perspective view of mydevicein use. Fig. 2 1s a perspective View on an enlarged scale; the lower endof the frame being broken away and the springs removed. Fig. 3 is a sideelevat1on of my bed bottom extended; Fig. 4 an elevatlon thereof in thefolded position; Fig. 5 a plan view of several of the springs connected;and, Fig. 6 is a detail view of the pawl or bail.

Referring to the letters on the drawings: A, A and A indicate the foot,central and head portions, respectively, of my device which is of thatparticular class of bed bottoms in which the spring support or bottomproper is composed of longitudinal strips and transverse slats.

Ileretofore attempts to produce a framesufficlently flexible toproperlyconform to the contour of a person, have been attended by acorresponding weakening of the frame. To accomplish this object withoutthe obj ectionable result referred to, and to correspondingly strengthenthe structure at the point of thel greatest strain, I form the centralsection of two or more longitudinally arranged links b in line with theseveral longitudinal strips 0. of the foot section, and transversespring supporting slats 12 The links are preferably formed of metalstrips having their ends bent back upon the opposite sides of theircentral portion to form knuckles b at their opposite ends, and areunited to each other and to the passing through the contiguous knucklesand forming a flexible connection therebetween. The strips a of the footsection are surmounted by transverse slats a. and by diagonally arrangedstay pieces or strips M secured at their opposite ends to the slats toprevent twisting of the frame. The head section A consists of but twolongitudinal strips 0 forming a continuation of the outside strips orlinks of the section A and connected thereto by knuckles and loops asdescribed. The strips 0 may be properly braced by intermediate bracebars, as illustrated.

0 indicates an L-shaped bar secured upon the extremity of the headsection by hinges located at the intersection of its sides or wings.

Pivotally secured to the strips 0 at a point contiguous to theirknuckles is an adjustable auxiliary frame or head rest 0', the sidestrips D, D of which are connected by transverse slats 0 the inner sidesor faces of the strips being correlatively located with respect to theouter sides or faces of the strips 0 to admit of the depression of thehead rest to the lowest possible position when it is desired to fold thedevice.

For the purpose of enabling the occupant of the bed to adjust the headrest to the desired elevation with facility, I provide racks E upon thestrips 0 which are adapted to be engaged by a pawl or bail E pivotallyconnected to the side strips of the head rest preferably at a point toone side of their middle. A pawl operating cord G is secured at one endto the pawl and provided at its opposite end with a handle, suitableeyes 9 being provided upon one of the slats of the head rest throughwhich the cord may be passed in order to allow the handle to depend atone side of the frame. The person lying upon the bed is thus enabled toadjust the head rest from his reclining position by a slight pull uponthe cord. The purpose of the L-shapedbar is to sustain the head rest ina slightly elevated position and to prevent the pawl from beingdisengaged from the rack when the device is in use. The disengagement ofthe pawl from the rack when the bed is folded,

being necessitated in order to allow the parts to lie closely together.

Obverse spiral springs of substantially the same construction as thoseillustrated in Letters Patent, No. 298,927 are in practice suitablymounted upon the transverse slats of the various sections, and a hook Isecured to the end of the head section and engaging with an eye upon theopposite end of the .foot section is employed to hold the parts in theirproper relative positions when folded.

F indicates hooks upon theslatsof the cen tral section adapted to besecured to the bedstead or other support to prevent casual displacementof the bed bottom and to receive the strain when the bottom is subjectedto. unusual weight.

I claim I I v 1. The combination with a bed-bottom, of an auxiliaryframe pivotedthereto provided with a pawl or bail adapted tobeswungsentirelybeyond and out of engagement with the rack when the frame.is completely depressed for the purpose specified, and an L-shaped barpivoted to thebed bottom and adapted to permit the-disengagementof 'the'pawl and rack or to prevent the same when the device of a bed bottomhaving a flexible central portion', an auxiliary frame as a head restpivotally secured at one end of the bed, pawl and ratchet. mechanismadapted to sustain the frame in the adjusted position, an operating cordsecured to the pawl and extending to one side of the bed, a n Lv-shapedbar. adapted to limitthe 'depression'of the frame when desired, a hooksecured-to the bed bottom and adapted to be secured to the support, andanother hook adapted to-retain thebed bottom in the folded position,substantially as and for the purpose specified. v In testimony whereof Iaffix my signature in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

LAFAYETTE WILDERMUTH.

. Witnesses:

IRA S. READ,

BENJ. MoN-ETT.

